YMusic V3 to V4: keep your songs and playlists

Keep YMusic V3 installed until the songs and playlists you need are usable in V4. Locate your completed audio files, make a separate copy, and check how each playlist was saved before removing the old app. Installing V4 alone does not establish that your old library has transferred.

The generations use different Android package names. A V3 download can remain on the phone while V4 has no access to its folder, and a playlist can appear in the old app without having a portable backup. Those situations need different checks. For an ordinary update within the same generation, use the YMusic update guide.

Before changing either installation

• Find a completed song and confirm its actual file location.
• Copy important audio and any available playlist exports to a separate location.
• Check the copied files in V4 before clearing V3 data or uninstalling it.

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Why V4 needs a separate migration check

Static inspection of the publisher files recorded the following identities. The V3 record covers the older 3.9.23 file; the V4 record covers the arm64 APK from the 4.0.12 release, published on 24 October 2026.

The file inspection record documents what was extracted and the limits of the checks, including the historical V3 file.

Android uses an application's ID to identify it. These different IDs make V4 a separate application, rather than an in-place update of that V3 package. Android's application-module documentation explains why the application ID matters for installation and updates.

The minimum Android version also changed between these inspected files. Check your phone's Android version and the architecture of the APK you choose. The minimum declared in a manifest does not demonstrate that a build has been tested successfully on your particular phone. The installation guide covers the APK and per-source permission steps.

Work out what you need to preserve

Treat the old library as several kinds of information. This prevents an apparent transfer from hiding something that is still missing.

For an important playlist, record its name, track order and enough artist/title information to identify the recordings. Two results with the same song title can be different performances. A list of titles can help you rebuild a list, but it is not a backup of the audio itself.

The songs and playlists guide explains the difference between a listening list and a collection of completed files.

Find and copy the audio before uninstalling V3

Start with a song you know finished downloading. Find its actual location through the controls available in the old app or your file manager. Folder names vary; do not assume every installation saved music in a folder called Downloads or YMusic.

Open the file and check that it is the recording you expected. If it plays only from an online search result, you have not yet established that a completed local copy exists. Note the filename, extension and size so you can recognize the same item later.

Copy important files to a separate, accessible folder or another device. Open several of the copies before changing the old installation. Keep the originals until you have checked the new library. Only copy media you are authorized to store.

Android removes files in app-specific storage when the corresponding app is uninstalled. Its app-specific storage documentation explains that lifetime. Files in shared media storage are handled differently. The location of your own files determines which case applies, so a blanket assurance that uninstalling will preserve every song would be unreliable.

If you cannot locate an accessible copy, keep V3 in place. Use an export or sharing option if your installed build offers one, and inspect the resulting file. Avoid clearing storage while you are still trying to determine where the only copy lives.

Add the existing folder to V4

After installing the appropriate V4 build, use its available library or folder-selection controls to choose the folder containing your copied music. Choose the actual folder you checked, not another directory with a similar name.

A folder permission given to V3 does not establish that V4 can read the same location. Android's system file picker lets an app request access to a selected directory. Its document and directory access documentation describes the scope of that access and the restrictions that apply on newer Android versions.

On Android 11 and later, the directory-tree picker restricts selecting locations including the root Download directory and Android/data. A dedicated shared subfolder, such as Music/YMusic, is a practical example to consider if the picker permits it. That example is not a claim about YMusic's default save path.

If a folder appears empty, first confirm that you selected the location containing the copied files. Then check access and any rescan control offered by your installed build. The 4.0.12 release notes report fixes for a pre-existing download folder appearing empty until a rescan and for importing Opus, Ogg and OGA files into the Library. Those fixes are relevant context, but they do not explain every missing-file case.

Check which playlists can transfer

V4's 4.0.9 release notes describe Android MediaStore playlist import and playlist backup and restore. MediaStore is Android's system media catalogue. A private list inside V3 may be stored somewhere else.

Those features therefore do not establish that V4 can restore every V3 playlist database. Check what the old app can export, what the new app accepts, and what the resulting list actually contains. Keep an original export unchanged while trying an import.

Also inspect what a backup contains. A playlist backup can describe tracks and their order without carrying the audio files. Retain your separate file copies even if a playlist import appears successful.

An online playlist is another case. Its current contents and availability can change at the source. If you use that route, confirm the recordings and ordering in the new app. An entry becoming visible in a playlist does not establish that its audio is available offline.

Validate the new library with a small sample

Choose several files from different parts of the collection before moving on to a large library. Include a long recording, a file with a less familiar extension, and something from a playlist whose order matters if those exist in your collection.

For each sample, check the title and duration, start playback, and seek to a later point. Then test the intended local files without a connection. Turn the connection back on afterward. This helps distinguish working local media from a result that still relies on streaming.

Open a migrated playlist and inspect its order, duplicates and unavailable entries. If a track is missing, compare the exact file location and recording, rather than immediately downloading another copy. A second copy can leave you with duplicate files while the original folder remains inaccessible.

Keep a short note of the folders and lists you checked. If something fails later, that record helps you distinguish a new access problem from an item that never transferred.

When to remove the old app

Consider removing V3 only after your important audio has a separate backup and the files and lists you need work in V4. Check any app-private information you still rely on before making that decision.

An older Android device may not meet the new build's declared minimum. Do not delete its working installation merely because a newer generation exists. Likewise, a successful installation on one phone says nothing about a different device's compatibility.

If you keep both apps, pay attention to their names and package identities when changing permissions or opening Android's App info screen. A change made to V3's storage permission will not repair a folder grant missing from V4.

If the migration fails

Record the V3 and V4 versions, phone model, Android version and the stage that failed. Include whether the physical file exists, whether it opens in another player, its format, and whether the selected location is internal storage, an SD card or another document provider.

Quote the exact message and describe one reproducible example. Remove account details, tokens and unrelated personal filenames from screenshots or logs before sharing them. A report saying that an existing M4A file opens elsewhere but remains absent from one selected Library folder is more useful than saying that all downloads are broken.

Publication and evidence

Published by YMusic APK, founded by Muzamil Ahad. This guidance uses inspected file metadata, publisher release notes and Android documentation. Research and writing were AI-assisted; installation, migration and playback on an Android device were not tested. See the publication profile, editorial policy or contact page for ownership and corrections.